Call for submissions

April 7th to 30th – Single photo or portfolio of 6 images

Building on the success of the 2016 competition, which saw hundreds of photographers from more than 40 countries participate in the competition, Photomed and LensCulture once again joined forces.

Whether you are passionate or professional amateur, the contest is open to everyone, provided you illustrate what « unusual Mediterranean » means to you. We are looking for well thought-out portfolios with an assertive style as well as unique, amazing or original images.

Participate by posting a single image (6 winners) or a portfolio of six photos (6 winners). The exhibition will consist of 18 panels of 2m x 2m, (2 per portfolio, 1 per individual photo with legends and bio of the winners), installed in front of the town hall on the port.

Unexpected Mediterranean

Photomed aims to give voice to photographers who are showing the Unexpected Mediterranean. Everyone is exposed to the reality of this region between terrible conflicts and sunny vacations. But the Mediterranean area is more complex than what it looks like. What we are looking for is what is surprising, amazing, fun, emotional and outstanding or images having a stopping power. This is the rule to be part of a solid group show. Did you catch a decisive moment like H Cartier-Bresson or did you take your time to capture something that no one has perceived like you before?

Philippe Sérénon

Ricardo Vazquez

About Jury

Angel Albarran & Anna Cabrera

The Photographers Anna Cabrera and Angel Albarrán work together as a collaborative duo. The work of Anna Cabrera and Angel Albarrán is represented by six galleries around the world and has been exhibited in Spain, Japan, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Germany, Lebanon, Italy and the -United. They participated in the first edition of Photomed, featuring magnificent platinum prints. Producing their own prints, they combine digital and conventional techniques in a very thoughtful and creative way on various media including Japanese papers.

Arnaud Bizalion

Born and working in Arles, studied at the Beaux-Arts in Aix-en-Provence and then in Marseille-Luminy in photography. In 2013, after Images en manœuvres (1983-2013), he founded Arnaud Bizalion Éditeur, whose editorial concept was centered on an often autobiographical photograph in which the author’s commitment was total. In his books, writing often occupies a sensitive, personal, historical dimension. Many authors, and the subjects treated whose origin and concern is the Mediterranean. All the fields are approached without a priori, as soon as the authors display sincerity and total investment in their art, with modesty, humility, simplicity.

Artists push us into the corners of our world, the vastest and the most intimate, where turbulence and calmness assail us and penetrate us. We are confronted with happiness, misfortune, strong emotions, thin and subtle, and artists have to deal with grain, light, color, object, shape, smooth and rough, Meaning, choice, consistency of a difficult writing that takes shape in a book, in books. The creation is there, always present, demanding, diverse…

The book, object or not, space of creation, imagination, collects, transports, conditions, implements. He looks at himself, manipulates himself, touches himself. It is turned and turned, laminated upside down, then to the place, rests, resumes. It exists, accompanies and reveals to the world the intimate, the secret. He delivers and delivers us.

Simon Edwards

After being Chargé de Mission at Paris Audiovisuel, Simon Edwards worked on the pre-opening of the European House of Photography in Paris (MEP) and has regularly participated in the Month of Photography in Paris as curator of exhibitions. He takes part in photographic projects in France and abroad (Photographic Encounters of Fez, collections and exhibitions). He has been recently Artistic Director of Photomed Beirut. For four years he has worked on the artistic committee and the artistic direction of Photomed Sanary-Sur-Mer, France. Since January 2015 he is artistic director of the Salon de la Photo in Paris.

Alessandra Mauro

As curator, conceived and organized several exhibitions, such as Photomed 2013, William Klein’s Rome, Mario Giacomelli’s Retrospective, Mimmo Jodice’s Lost in Seeing… During her time as editorial director of Contrasto Publishing House in Rome, she has curated and edited several books and catalogues. Currently the artistic director of Forma in Milan, she has been in charge of the exhibition program since 2005 and has worked on retrospectives and personal exhibitions of several photographers, including Josef Koudelka and Richard Avedon. In addition to her duties at Forma, she is Professor of Photography History at the University of Rome – 3 and is a consultant for photography at the service of contemporary art at the Vatican Museum.

Laura Serani

Curator and author, Laura Serani regularly collaborates with institutions, festivals and publishers in Europe and elsewhere. President of the Prix Résidence pour la Photographie and consultant of the Fondation Les Treilles in France, since 2015.

She was Art director for the 2014 and 2008 editions of the Mois de la Photo in Paris, Art director of the Rencontres de Bamako, African biennial of photography, held in Mali in 2011 and 2009, curator for Fotografia Europea–Reggio Emilia, from 2007 until 2015, and director of the Sifest, in 2007 and 2008.

Previously, she was Director of the Fnac Collection and of the Fnac Galleries (Europe, Brasil and Taiwan), from 1986 to 2006

Philippe Serenon

Co-founded Photomed Festival is the current organizer and art director, following after Jean-Luc Monterosso, director of the MEP. He spent more than 25 years in the photography industry, in silver photography at Kodak and then digital in the printing division of Hewlett Packard. He worked with world famous photographers from Magnum Photo or individuals like Albert Watson or Joel Meyerowitz for which he curated an exhibition at “La Piscine” in Roubaix. Co-curator with JL Monterosso of the exhibitions of G. Basilico, M Joddice, or Animal and Co. (Video) at the Hotel of Arts of Toulon.

Ricardo Vazquez

Chief Curator of Heritage and director of the Hôtel des Arts, the Art center of the Var department. He has set up numerous exhibitions, including photography with artists such as Stéphane Couturier, Jacqueline Salmon, Bernard Plossu and Marie Bovo. He collaborates with institutions such as the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Photo España Festival, the Fondation des Treilles, the Photomed Festival or the Rencontres de la Photographie in Arles.